TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. History
3. Elements of painting
4. Painting media
5. Hot wax or encaustic
6. Watercolor
7. Gouache
8. Ink
9. Enamel
10. Tempera
11. Fresco
12. Oil
13. Pastel
14. Acrylic
15. Spray paint
16. Water miscible oil paint
17. Sand
18. Digital painting
19. Conclusion
 1. Introduction

Painting, the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities,
in a two-dimensional visual language. The elements of this language—its shapes, lines,
colors, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space,
movement, and light on a flat surface. These elements are combined into expressive patterns
in order to represent real or supernatural phenomena, to interpret a narrative theme, or to
create wholly abstract visual relationships. An artist’s decision to use a particular medium,
such as tempera, fresco, oil, acrylic, watercolor or other water-based paints, ink, gouache,
encaustic, or casein, as well as the choice of a particular form, such as mural, easel, panel,
miniature, manuscript illumination, scroll, screen or fan, panorama, or any of a variety of
modern forms, is based on the sensuous qualities and the expressive possibilities and
limitations of those options. The choices of the medium and the form, as well as the artist’s
own technique, combine to realize a unique visual image.

Painting is a visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment,
color or other medium to a solid surface. The medium is commonly applied to the base with a
brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and airbrushes, may be used. One who
produces paintings is called a painter.

In art, the term "painting" describes both the act and the result of the action (the final work is
called "a painting"). The support for paintings includes such surfaces as walls, paper, canvas,
wood, glass, lacquer, pottery, leaf, copper and concrete, and the painting may incorporate
multiple other materials, including sand, clay, paper, plaster, gold leaf, and even whole
objects.

Painting is an important form of visual art, bringing in elements such as drawing,

A portion of the history of painting in both Eastern and Western art is dominated by religious
art. Examples of this kind of painting range from artwork depicting mythological figures on
pottery, to Biblical scenes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, to scenes from the life of Buddha (or
other images of Eastern religious origin).

2. History

The oldest known paintings are approximately 40,000 years old, found in both the Franco-
Cantabrian region in western Europe, and in the caves in the district of Maros (Sulawesi,
Indonesia). In November 2018, however, scientists reported the discovery of the then-oldest
known figurative art painting, over 40,000 (perhaps as old as 52,000) years old, of an
unknown animal, in the cave of Lubang Jeriji Saléh on the Indonesian island of Borneo
(Kalimantan). In December 2019, figurative cave paintings depicting pig hunting in the
Maros-Pangkep karst in Sulawesi were estimated to be even older, at at least 43,900 years
old. The finding was noted to be "the oldest pictorial record of storytelling and the earliest
figurative artwork in the world". More recently, in 2021, cave art of a pig found in an
Indonesian island, and dated to over 45,500 years, has been reported. However, the earliest
evidence of the act of painting has been discovered in two rock-shelters in Arnhem Land, in
northern Australia. In the lowest layer of material at these sites, there are used pieces of ochre
estimated to be 60,000 years old. Archaeologists have also found a fragment of rock painting
preserved in a limestone rock-shelter in the Kimberley region of North-Western Australia,
that is dated to 40,000 years old. There are examples of cave paintings all over the world—in
Indonesia, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, India, Australia, Mexico, etc. In Western
cultures, oil painting and watercolor painting have rich and complex traditions in style and
subject matter. In the East, ink and color ink historically predominated the choice of media,
with equally rich and complex traditions.

The invention of photography had a major impact on painting. In the decades after the first
photograph was produced in 1829, photographic processes improved and became more
widely practiced, depriving painting of much of its historic purpose to provide an accurate
record of the observable world. A series of art movements in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries—notably Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism,
and Dadaism—challenged the Renaissance view of the world. Eastern and African painting,
however, continued a long history of stylization and did not undergo an equivalent
transformation at the same time.
Modern and Contemporary art has moved away from the historic value of craft and
documentation in favour of concept. This has not deterred the majority of living painters from
continuing to practice painting either as a whole or part of their work. The vitality and
versatility of painting in the 21st century defy the previous "declarations" of its demise. In an
epoch characterized by the idea of pluralism, there is no consensus as to a representative style
of the age. Artists continue to make important works of art in a wide variety of styles and
aesthetic temperaments—their merits are left to the public and the marketplace to judge.

The Feminist art movement began in the 1960s during the second wave of feminism. The
movement sought to gain equal rights and equal opportunities for female artists
internationally.

3. Elements of painting

➢ Color and tone

4. Painting media

Different types of paint are usually identified by the medium that the pigment is suspended or
embedded in, which determines the general working characteristics of the paint, such as
viscosity, miscibility, solubility, drying time, etc.

5. Hot wax or encaustic

Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which
colored pigments are added. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface—usually prepared
wood, though canvas and other materials are often used. The simplest encaustic mixture can
be made from adding pigments to beeswax, but there are several other recipes that can be
used—some containing other types of waxes, damar resin, linseed oil, or other ingredients.
Pure, powdered pigments can be purchased and used, though some mixtures use oil paints or
other forms of pigment. Metal tools and special brushes can be used to shape the paint before
it cools, or heated metal tools can be used to manipulate the wax once it has cooled onto the
surface. Other materials can be encased or collaged into the surface, or layered, using the
encaustic medium to adhere it to the surface.

6. Watercolor

Watercolor is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a
water-soluble vehicle. The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is
paper; other supports include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood
and canvas. In East Asia, watercolor painting with inks is referred to as brush painting or
scroll painting. In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese painting it has been the dominant medium,
often in monochrome black or browns. India, Ethiopia and other countries also have long
traditions. Finger-painting with watercolor paints originated in China. There are various types
of watercolors used by artists. Some examples are pan watercolors, liquid watercolors,
watercolor brush pens, and watercolor pencils. Watercolor pencils (water-soluble color
pencils) may be used either wet or dry.

7. Gouache

Gouache is a water-based paint consisting of pigment and other materials designed to be used
in an opaque painting method. Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are larger,
the ratio of pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white pigment such as
chalk is also present. This makes gouache heavier and more opaque, with greater reflective
qualities. Like all water media, it is diluted with water. Gouache was a popular paint utilized
by Egyptians, Painters such as Francois Boucher used this medium. This paint is best applied
with sable brushes.

Ceramic Glaze Glazing is commonly known as a premelted liquid glass. This glaze can be
dipped or brushed on. This glaze appears chalky and there is a vast difference between the
beginning and finished result. To be activated glazed pottery must be placed in a kiln to be
fired. This melts the Silica glass in the glaze and transforms it into a vibrant glossy version of
itself.
 8. Ink

Ink paintings are done with a liquid that contains pigments or dyes and is used to color a
surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing with a pen, brush, or
quill. Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants,
solubilizers, surfactants, particulate matter, fluorescers, and other materials. The components
of inks serve many purposes; the ink's carrier, colorants, and other additives control flow and
thickness of the ink and its appearance when dry.

9. Enamel

Enamels are made by painting a substrate, typically metal, with powdered glass; minerals
called color oxides provide coloration. After firing at a temperature of 750–850 degrees
Celsius (1380–1560 degrees Fahrenheit), the result is a fused lamination of glass and metal.
Unlike most painted techniques, the surface can be handled and wetted Enamels have
traditionally been used for decoration of precious objects, but have also been used for other
purposes. Limoges enamel was the leading centre of Renaissance enamel painting, with small
religious and mythological scenes in decorated surrounds, on plaques or objects such as salts
or caskets. In the 18th century, enamel painting enjoyed a vogue in Europe, especially as a
medium for portrait miniatures. In the late 20th century, the technique of porcelain enamel on
metal has been used as a durable medium for outdoor murals.

10. Tempera

Tempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting
of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium (usually a glutinous material
such as egg yolk or some other size). Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this
medium. Tempera paintings are very long-lasting, and examples from the first centuries CE
still exist. Egg tempera was a primary method of painting until after 1500 when it was
superseded by the invention of oil painting. A paint commonly called tempera (though it is
not) consisting of pigment and glue size is commonly used and referred to by some
manufacturers in America as poster paint.
 11. Fresco

Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The
word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco [afˈfresːko], which derives from the Latin
word for fresh. Frescoes were often made during the Renaissance and other early time
periods. Buon fresco technique consists of painting in pigment mixed with water on a thin
layer of wet, fresh lime mortar or plaster, for which the Italian word for plaster, intonaco, is
used. A secco painting, in contrast, is done on dry plaster (secco is "dry" in Italian). The
pigments require a binding medium, such as egg (tempera), glue or oil to attach the pigment
to the wall.

12. Oil

Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying
oil, such as linseed oil, poppyseed oil which was widely used in early modern Europe. Often
the oil was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called
'varnishes' and were prized for their body and gloss. Oil paint eventually became the principal
medium used for creating artworks as its advantages became widely known. The transition
began with Early Netherlandish painting in northern Europe, and by the height of the
Renaissance oil painting techniques had almost completely replaced tempera paints in the
majority of Europe.

13. Pastel

Pastel is a painting medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a
binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art
media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. The color effect
of pastels is closer to the natural dry pigments than that of any other process. Because the
surface of a pastel painting is fragile and easily smudged, its preservation requires protective
measures such as framing under glass; it may also be sprayed with a fixative. Nonetheless,
when made with permanent pigments and properly cared for, a pastel painting may endure
unchanged for centuries. Pastels are not susceptible, as are paintings made with a fluid
medium, to the cracking and discoloration that result from changes in the color, opacity, or
dimensions of the medium as it dries.
 14. Acrylic

Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion.
Acrylic paints can be diluted with water but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on
how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the
finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique
characteristics not attainable with other media. The main practical difference between most
acrylics and oil paints is the inherent drying time. Oils allow for more time to blend colors
and apply even glazes over under-paintings. This slow drying aspect of oil can be seen as an
advantage for certain techniques but may also impede the artist's ability to work quickly.
Another difference is that watercolors must be painted onto a porous surface, primarily
watercolor paper. Acrylic paints can be used on many different surfaces. Both acrylic and
watercolor are easy to clean up with water. Acrylic paint should be cleaned with soap and
water immediately following use. Watercolor paint can be cleaned with just water.

Between 1946 and 1949, Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden invented a solution acrylic paint
under the brand Magna paint. These were mineral spirit-based paints. Water-based acrylic
paints were subsequently sold as latex house paints. In 1963, George Rowney (part of Daler-
Rowney since 1983) was the first manufacturer to introduce artists' acrylic paints in Europe,
under the brand name "Cryla". Acrylics are the most common paints used in grattage, a
surrealist technique that began to be used with the advent of this type of paint. Acrylics are
used for this purpose because they easily scrape or peel from a surface.

15. Spray paint

Aerosol paint (also called spray paint) is a type of paint that comes in a sealed pressurized
container and is released in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button. A form of spray
painting, aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated surface. Standard sized cans are
portable, inexpensive and easy to store. Aerosol primer can be applied directly to bare metal
and many plastics.

Speed, portability and permanence also make aerosol paint a common graffiti medium. In the
late 1970s, street graffiti writers' signatures and murals became more elaborate, and a unique
style developed as a factor of the aerosol medium and the speed required for illicit work.
Many now recognize graffiti and street art as a unique art form and specifically manufactured
aerosol paints are made for the graffiti artist. A stencil protects a surface, except the specific
shape to be painted. Stencils can be purchased as movable letters, ordered as professionally
cut logos or hand-cut by artists.

16. Water miscible oil paint

Water miscible oil paints (also called "water soluble" or "water-mixable") is a modern variety
of oil paint engineered to be thinned and cleaned up with water, rather than having to use
chemicals such as turpentine. It can be mixed and applied using the same techniques as
traditional oil-based paint, but while still wet it can be effectively removed from brushes,
palettes, and rags with ordinary soap and water. Its water solubility comes from the use of an
oil medium in which one end of the molecule has been altered to bind loosely to water
molecules, as in a solution.

17. Sand

Sandpainting is the art of pouring coloured sands, and powdered pigments from minerals or
crystals, or pigments from other natural or synthetic sources onto a surface to make a fixed or
unfixed sand painting.

18. Digital painting

Digital painting is a method of creating an art object (painting) digitally or a technique for
making digital art on the computer. As a method of creating an art object, it adapts traditional
painting medium such as acrylic paint, oils, ink, watercolor, etc. and applies the pigment to
traditional carriers, such as woven canvas cloth, paper, polyester, etc. by means of software
driving industrial robotic or office machinery (printers). As a technique, it refers to a
computer graphics software program that uses a virtual canvas and virtual painting box of
brushes, colors, and other supplies. The virtual box contains many instruments that do not
exist outside the computer, and which give a digital artwork a different look and feel from an
artwork that is made the traditional way. Furthermore, digital painting is not 'computer-
generated' art as the computer does not automatically create images on the screen using some
mathematical calculations. On the other hand, the artist uses his own painting technique to
create a particular piece of work on the computer.
 19. Conclusion:

The Arts are an important cultural tool for expressing concerns and love for the world we
occupy. Be it the natural world, keeping awareness, war, peace, disasters, taboo’s, social and
cultural awareness. We have creativity to thank for all of human kinds progress and
endeavors for it allowed us to see a brighter future with new inventions and intrigue into areas
of study that would have once been seen themselves as mysticism, wizardry or witchcraft.